Ninja 12-Cup Programmable CE251 Review

The Ninja 12-Cup Programmable CE251 uses a cone filter and brews anywhere from a single cup to a full 12-cup pot of coffee. It comes with some of the most important programmable features, including pre-infusion. It also manages to brew a perfectly good cup of coffee and does a great job at a reasonable price. Find out how other models measured up in our drip coffee maker review.

Performance Comparison

Brew Quality

To determine brew quality, our coffee connoisseurs took a few factors into consideration. We started by testing the brew temperature in the basket at sea level.

The Ninja held a steady average of 202.5°F, well within the preferable range. While there is no option to adjust or change your water temperature, brewing temperature was consistently within the industry-standard guidelines of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), allowing for optimal flavor extraction and a great-tasting cup.

We love that there is a pre-infusion option to help keep extraction of the grounds even. In addition to the Classic mode, there's also a Rich button, which made the coffee slightly stronger, though the difference was minimal and hard to taste. We did, however, notice that the hot plate didn't heat the coffee further after sitting for an hour. So we didn't experience that burnt taste you sometimes get with a hot plate that is too hot.

Water distribution, which we determined by the saturation of the grounds after brewing, was impressively even — better than many other comparable machines we've seen. The included cone-shaped reusable basket is metal and plastic, which can alter the taste of the coffee just a little. Still, the Ninja 12-Cup gave us a delicious cup of coffee and performed noticeably better than most.

User Friendliness

Our testers found the Ninja quite easy to use; just add your filter and grounds, add water, press Classic or Rich, and then press the brew button. The machine beeps when the brewing cycle is through; just another little detail we appreciate seeing. The programmable features each have their own separate buttons, meaning no confusing menu to learn, and you always know exactly what settings you are working with.

The machine can be programmed to make a fresh pot of coffee at any time within a 24-hour period, so you can wake up to the smell of fresh coffee in the morning. This feature is extra appreciated in this particular model, as its first brew (while the machine is still cold) tended to take longer than most other machines — well over 11 minutes. If you just need a quick dose, there is a convenient small batch option for brewing under four cups, and the sneak-a-cup feature works great, allowing you to snag a cup if you just can't wait for brewing to finish.

The hot plate also has a timer setting, so it can keep your coffee hot for up to four hours. If the timer isn't set, the hot plate will turn off on its own after two hours, giving you peace of mind if you are in a hurry and forget to turn it off.

The water reservoir is on the right side, which may be difficult for left-handers. The tank is convenient to remove, with perfectly placed indents to hold onto. The tank is roughly 6.5 inches long and is narrow in the front by the interface but gradually widens to around 5.5 inches by the rear. There are also water measurements on the tank but not on the carafe. The machine brews whatever you put in — from one to twelve cups of coffee.

The glass carafe has a handle grip large enough for most hands to comfortably fit, and we loved how smoothly it poured. The lid has a little mini-twist on and off, and it shows quite obviously at the top when it's been locked properly. The lid can be a bit finicky to put on just right, but we didn't mind it too much. The included measuring spoon is a lot smaller than most others. It's unclear if this is a different process or a more honest measurement of coffee grounds.

Ease of Cleaning

We really love that pretty much all of the Ninja parts and pieces are dishwasher-safe. The permanent filter, glass carafe, brew-through lid, removable filter holder, water reservoir and lid, and scoop are all dishwasher safe, making cleaning so much easier than some other models. Daily handwashing of the carafe was a breeze as well. The opening is large enough that we could easily get a hand in to wash it.

The main unit, showerhead, and water reservoir shelf wipe down easily with a wet cloth. The hot plate does collect coffee drips that will then burn, so it could need a bit more rigorous regular cleaning maintenance.

Descaling took us a little over minutes from start to finish, which is a perfectly acceptable amount of time for this process. There is a separate descaling button, making the whole thing pretty straightforward. We appreciated that descaling was simple and the machine itself was easy to clean, especially with so many dishwasher-safe parts and pieces.

Consistency

While brewing time tended to get shorter as the machine heated up, which is not very ideal, the Ninja 12-Cup gave us an average brewing time of 8 minutes 29 seconds. Over the course of five consecutive brews, the Ninja sped up from almost 11.4 minutes to just under seven.

This isn't an annoyingly long time, but not the fastest we've seen. As most users will brew just a single pot of coffee, this type of inconsistency is less of a big deal than brew temperature variation.

The brewing temperatures the Ninja gave us were impressive, averaging 202.5°F and varying just a degree or two from one brew to the next, giving us pot after pot of perfect flavor extraction.

Should You Buy the Ninja 12-Cup Programmable?

The Ninja 12-Cup gave us a consistently tasty cup of coffee brewed at optimal temperatures. With its easy-to-learn interface and just enough customizable features for a reasonable price, the Ninja 12-Cup is a drip coffee maker that doesn't disappoint. It is affordable, easy to clean, and easy to use. The Ninja 12-Cup is a fantastic option for anyone looking for that perfect cup of drip coffee.

What Other Drip Coffee Makers Should You Consider?

The Ninja 12-Cup gives great customization for an unbeatable price, but there are other options out there to appease the coffee connoisseur chasing that perfectly personalized flavor. For those looking for the ultimate high-end coffee maker who don't mind spending a pretty penny, you might consider the Breville Precision Brewer.